Forever Changed
by Rusher0994
Summary: It's been years since James moved away from the guys and a promise was broken. Now James is back but as he immediately points out, he's not the same anymore. Can the guys get through to him and get their James back? Or will he remain forever changed? (Possible Slash)
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hello everyone! So excited to be working on my first multi-chapter story! I'm really excited for this and I hope you all enjoy it! :)**

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**Prologue**

"Come on Kendall, it's not that bad." Logan said, forever trying to be the voice of reason.

"I know that. But I still don't feel like being here." I grumbled as we walked through the halls.

Today was the first day of our senior year, a day that should've been exciting. And while part of me was excited, I couldn't help but feel a little off. I had been feeling like this ever since I woke up this morning, and of course my mom wouldn't let me skip my first day of senior year so I couldn't talk her into letting me stay home.

"Hey guys!" Carlos said as he quickly made his way over to us.

"Hey Carlitos." I said, throwing an arm over his shoulders.

I had to admit, I felt a little better now that Carlos was with us. But there was one thing, one thing that was keeping me from being one hundred percent happy on a day that I should probably feel pretty excited. And by the look Logan was giving me, I was pretty sure he knew what that something was.

We had started heading to our first class of the day, Carlos walking ahead as Logan and I trailed behind him.

"Are you okay?" Logan asked in a hushed yet concerned tone, making sure that nobody else could hear.

"I'm fine. It's just…" I said, watching as his look when from one of concern to one of understanding.

"You're thinking about him. Aren't you?" He asked in a knowing tone.

"It's that obvious huh?" I asked while chuckling a little, trying to lighten the mood.

"It's going be okay." He said, giving my shoulder a comforting squeeze as we walked into the class.

The three of us talked about random stuff for a few minutes before immediately shutting up as Miss Collins walked in.

"Morning class." She chirped, getting a few half-hearted responses in return. "We have a new student joining us today. He came all the way from New York so I want you all to make him feel at home. James?" She called out into the hallway.

I immediately stiffened at the name, and out of the corner of my eyes, I could see Carlos and Logan becoming interested as well.

'_It can't really be James can it? I mean, James is a pretty common name. I'm sure it's someone else.' _I thought to myself.

I was getting ready to talk with Logan for a minute when the new guy walked in, my heart literally sipping a beat at the sight.

He was way taller, and he was definitely in shape now, but looking at those hazel eyes, I immediately knew that it was none other than James Diamond.

"Alright, this is James Diamond everyone. Why don't you tell the class a little bit about yourself James." Miss Collins suggested, giving him an encouraging smile.

"Um, well like she said, I moved here from New York. I'm 18, not really into any sports except for hockey. And I love music." He said, voice alot stronger and much more confident than I remember. Actually, his entire presence seemed more confident than I remember…

_I was only five years old when when I first met James. _

_It was recess so everyone was playing on the playground. But I noticed one boy in particular who was surrounded by a group of other boys, looking to be on the verge of tears. _

_I quickly got up, making my way over to the boy._

"_Hey!" I yelled, immediately grabbing the attention of everyone in the group. _

_I looked over at the slightly chubby boy, noticing both the shock and hurt on his face. I gave him a reassuring smile before turning my attention back to the three boys surrounding him. But right when I was getting ready to give them a piece of my mind, the bell rang, signaling the end of recess. _

_The three boys quickly ran off leaving the two of us alone. _

"_Are you okay?" I asked, watching as his cheeks turned a deep shade of pink._

_I was expecting him to say something, but instead he just meekly nodded his head, with more tears coming seconds later. _

"_Hey, what's wrong?" I asked, quickly becoming worried._

"_T-they said that I d-don't have any f-friends because I'm f-fat." He choked out, clearly hurt and upset. _

_I even found myself getting upset. They had absolutely no right to say to him! _

"_Come here." I said, pulling the boy in for a hug. "They're wrong. You're not fat. You're perfect just the way you are." I said honestly._

_He really wasn't fat. He just had a little more meat on his bones than some other people. _

"_R-really?" He asked, looking up at me with his big eyes. I had never really seen anything like them. They were a light greenish color with a little red in them, along with what looked like flecks of gold. I had to admit, they were pretty breathtaking. _

"_Really. And I'll be your friend. If you'll let me that is." I said, not wanting to force him into being my friend if he didn't want to be. _

"_You mean it?" He asked, his eyes lighting up a little. _

"_Of course. We'll be best friends. I can feel it." I said, watching as a smile formed on the other boys face. "My names' Kendall Knight. What's yours?"_

"_James. James Diamond." He said a little sheepishly, still seeming a little nervous. _

"_Well James, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship." I said as I threw an arm around James' shoulder, listening as he giggled a little._

True to my word, we soon became best friends, virtually inseparable. Wherever he went, I went. And wherever I went, he went.

It wasn't until a year later, when we met both Carlos and Logan, that things started to change. It wasn't anything too major, it was just that we didn't spend alot of time together, just the two of us, like we used to.

Logan and Carlos didn't hear the story of how James and I met until a little while later, when things had changed. I remember the pair laughing, teasing me about how protective I was even as a kid.

But looking at James now, I realized how different he really looked.

Every area where he had a little more meat on his bones was now replaced with lean muscle, he was definitely taller, but that was pretty much expected given how many years it had been since I had seen him. That's when I noticed his eyes. His eyes that used to shine and have so much life and joy in them, were now dull and practically lifeless. I could also see right through the smile that he currently had plastered on his face.

"Aright, thank you James. Now it seems like the only available seat is next to Kendall so that'll have to your seat for now." She said to James before turning her attention to me. "Kendall, please raise your hand so James can see you."

I could practically _feel _Carlos and Logan staring at me the entire time as I hesitantly raised my hand, watching as James' gaze wandered over to me.

I don't know what I expected. Maybe for some kind of recognition to flash across his face. Maybe even some anger… So I was suprised to get absolutely no emotion or sign of recognition from the brunet as he wordlessly walked over to me, taking the seat right next to me.

I subtly watched as he took out a tablet and a pen to take notes as Miss Collins got ready for the lesson. And after still getting no sign of recognition from James, I turned towards Carlos and Logan, who were staring at me with wide eyes. I gave them a shrug before looking towards Miss Collins, who was still preparing for the lesson. I decided to take this chance to try and talk to James.

"James?" I softly called out, hoping to get some kind of response from the brunet. But instead he just ignored me, like I hadn't said anything at all.

"James." I said a little louder this time, only to get the same result.

I let out a sigh of frustration, quickly losing my temper. I was getting ready to say something that I probably would regret, when Miss Collins suddenly spoke up, saying that it was time for the lesson to start.

I spared one last look at James before turning back towards the board, deciding that I wasn't going to get anywhere with him right now. I should've known that he wouldn't want anything to do with me. Especially after what happened.

But he couldn't ignore me forever. I was going to make sure of it.

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**That's a wrap for the Prologue! Next chapter is going to pick up where this one left off. I really would like your thoughts before I continue though. Should I continue? And if so, should I make this a Slash story or just keep it as a friendship? And if you want Slash, what pairings would you like to see. Also, if there's anything else you'd like to see in the story, just let me know and I'll do my best to incorporate them! :)**

**-Rusher0994**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello again everyone! Time for another chapter of 'Forever Changed'! Before we get started, I'd like to give a huge thank you to those that reviewed the first chapter! **

**suitelifeforever9: Thanks alot for the review! What happened between Kendall and James will be revealed pretty soon since that's one of the obstacles that they have to overcome **

**CessLizz: Thanks for taking the time to review! I'm really excited about this story! It's my first one that I'm doing by myself and I have a pretty good feeling about it!**

**EmeraldGrey57: Thanks! I'm not really sure if it'll be Slash or not, but we'll see how it goes!**

**winterschild11: Thank you so much for the review and your kind words! And I'll try not to take too long to reveal what happened. There's somewhat of a hint in this chapter **

**mandamichelle: Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, I'm leaning more towards keeping it a friendship, especially considering what I have planned **

**Again, thank you all so much for reviewing and supporting my first solo story! I would also like to thank those that have read, followed and favorited this story so far! This chapter gives you a little insight on James so I hope you all enjoy!**

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**Chapter 1**

I couldn't help but sneak a couple of glances at James as the class went on.

He seemed so focused and was diligently taking notes on anything important that Miss Collin's might have said, but I could tell with just one good look at him that he wanted to be anywhere but here.

I was so distracted with analyzing James that I didn't even notice the bell ring, with James quickly grabbing his stuff and heading for the door.

"Come on." I said to Logan and Carlos, who seemingly read my mind since they were already trailing after James.

"James! Wait up!" I yelled, finally catching up with Carlos and Logan. I could tell that we wouldn't be able to catch him when he suddenly sped up, with the guys and I losing him in the crowd of students getting out of class.

I let out a groan of frustration, accepting that I wouldn't get to talk to him just yet as I leaned against the lockers.

"Maybe he didn't recognize us?" Carlos said, although I could tell that even he didn't really believe the words that just left his mouth.

"Sure, that's it." I said bitterly, knowing that this was probably going to be harder than I thought.

"What happened between you two?" Logan asked, giving me a look that I couldn't quite place. I stared at him for a few seconds, debating on whether I should tell him or not. But quickly deciding against it. At least for now.

"It's a long story that I promise to tell you eventually." I said, hoping that my words would satisfy him for now.

"Fine." He sighed, dropping the subject for now. But I could tell by the tone in his voice that he was a little disappointed.

XxX

I was a little disappointed that I haven't had any more classes with Carlos or Logan yet. Granted I had only been to two classes since I last saw them.

But as I walked into my fourth class of the day, my music class, I was surprised to find see James there. I immediately made my way over to him, suddenly happy that I had decided to come to class a little early since there was a free spot right next to him.

But as I got closer to him, I suddenly found myself becoming a little nervous. Even though it had been years since I had seen him, I was sure that he still had temper problems like me. I didn't want to think about how he would react, but I knew it would best to do it now when there were other people around.

"Hey." I said nervously when I finally made it over to him, instantly regretting it when he looked up at me, anger written all over his face.

"Leave me alone." He said in a threatening tone which almost made me call this plan off, but I knew that I had to do this.

"No. We need to talk James. And you can't ignore me for an entire year." I said, knowing that it was true.

"There's nothing to talk about. You broke your promise. It's done. _We're _done." He said, finality in his voice.

I couldn't deny the fact that his words hurt, but I wasn't going to let that stop me from fixing things.

"I know. And you have no idea how sorry I am." I said, already feeling guilt starting to eat away at me.

"Yeah? Well sorry doesn't change anything." He muttered.

I was starting to lose my temper again, but before I could say anything Mr. Roland, walked in.

"Alright everyone, please find a seat. We'll be starting class in a minute." He said as he starting to check the instruments.

I let out a sigh and sat down in the seat next to James, who immediately got up and moved to a different spot.

_Yep, definitely going to be harder than I thought._

**James P.O.V**

To say that I was having a bad day would be an understatement.

I was actually glad that I decided to walk to school this morning instead of taking my car. At least now I can get some fresh air and take my mind off things. More specifically, Kendall.

I don't know what he was thinking trying to pick up where we left off like nothing ever happened. Well, he did try to apologize. Maybe I was a little hard on him…

No. It's going to take alot more than an apology for me to forgive him. He really let me down. I'm not even sure if I'll ever be able to trust him again.

Time went by too quickly as I walked onto my porch, already hearing the arguing coming from inside the house. I shook my head as I unlocked the door and walked in, my mom and dad immediately shutting up when they see me. But I'm sure they could tell by the look on my face that I knew they were fighting again.

"James-" My dad tried, but I wasn;t having any of it. Not this time.

"Save it." I snapped before heading up to my room, slamming the door behind me and throwing myself down onto my bed as soon as I walked in. I reached over onto my dresser, looking for my iPod when I heard a light knock on the door.

I didn't say anything, hoping that they would take a hint but of course they didn't. The door opened seconds later, my mom walking in with a look of guilt on her face.

"Don't even bother apologizing mom. It's fine." I lied, knowing that was the farthest thing from the truth.

"Sweetie, I'm really sorry. Your father and I are just going through a rough patch." She said, sounding genuinely sorry. But it was the same story ever time.

"That's what you said last time. The whole point of us moving here was for us to have a 'fresh start'." I said, throwing her words right back at her.

"I know. But… things just aren't that simple." She said softly.

"I guess." I muttered, tired of hearing the same thing over and over again.

"Are you hungry? I just put a lasagna in the oven?" She asked, deciding to change the subject.

"Sounds great." I said, mustering up a small smile for her sake.

"Alright. I'll call you down when it's done." She said, giving me a small smile before leaving, gently closing the door behind me.

I laid back down, staring at the ceiling as I started to think.

I knew that none of this was really my mom's fault. It was my dad that usually started all of these fights, most of them over little things. And my mom did everything she could to make it up to him everytime. I tried talking to her about it but everytime I bring it up she refuses to talk about it, usually changing the subject.

I let out a sigh as I got up, plugging my iPod up to my speakers before playing a little music, hoping that it would take my mind off things.

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**That's a wrap! So now you all got a little insight on James and what his life is like now. You also got a little bit of Kames interaction. There's actually a little hint in this chapter relating to what happened between James and Kendall (which will be revealed in a few chapters).**

**I'm kinda stuck on whether it'll be Slash or not, but I'm leaning more towards keep**

**So what'd you all think? I'd really love to hear your thoughts! And again, if there's anything you want to see in this story, feel free to PM me or leave it in a review and I'll so my best to add it to the story!**

**I'm hoping to update again sometime this week, next weekend at the latest, and it would be really be awesome if I could get 5 – 10 reviews by then!**

**-Rusher0994**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Time for another update! Before we get started, I'd like to give a shoutout to those that reviewed last chapter:**

**annabellex2**

**hpatts**

**EmeraldGrey57**

**Winterchild11**

**Lenail125**

**jamesmaslowlover **

**tansmanyo**

**Again, a huge thank you to all of you for taking the time to review! I see that it's kinda mixed on whether it should be Slash or not, so I'm going to keep this story as friendship and make a Slash story after I finish this one! :)**

**I hope you all enjoy the new chapter! **

**Warning: Mild Language**

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**Chapter 2**

**Kendall P.O.V.**

I let out a sigh as I walked into school, my mind going back to my talk with James yesterday.

I honestly didn't mean to break my promise, it just kinda happened. In retrospect, I really should've known that James wouldn't just let me back into his life with open arms. I guess maybe a part of me wanted to hold on to that hope that our friendship was stronger than that. But I knew that when I broke my promise, I also damaged our friendship.

"Kendall! Wait up!" I stopped at the sound of Logan's voice. I turned around, noticing him running towards me with Carlos trailing close behind him.

"Hey." I greeted them both once they had caught up.

"Hey. Sorry we're late but _someone _just had to stop by the cafeteria." Logan said, sending a playful glare in Carlos' direction.

"I was hungry!" He defended himself, making me chuckle a little despite my sour mood.

"Of course you were buddy." I said, patting him on the back as I noticed Logan staring at me with a curious look on his face.

"Hey, you okay?" Logan asked as we started walking to class.

I opened my mouth, getting ready to lie and say I was fine, but quickly decided against it, knowing that I had kept enough from him.

"Not really." I said vaguely, giving him a look that clearly said that now wasn't the right time. He nodded his head, dropping the subject for now.

As we walked into class, the first thing I noticed was that James was already in his seat, writing something into his notebook.

I cautiously made my way to my seat next to him, not missing the way the quickly closed his notebook once I made it to my seat.

"Hey." I tried, not suprised when he didn't respond.

_Yep, this is going to be another long day._

**James P.O.V.**

I was out of class as soon as the bell rang, not wanting to risk another run-in with Kendall.

I knew that I should probably talk to him and give him a chance to explain, but my life was already complicated enough right now, I didn't need any added drama.

Speaking of which, I still didn't know what to do about my parents. All they did was fight lately and I couldn't help but feel that there was some way to get them to stop.

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. It only took seconds for me to run into someone, sending me straight to floor and causing me to hit my head in the process.

"Shit! Are you okay?" I heard the guy I ran into ask.

"I think so." I groaned, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in the back of my head. He held out his hand to help me up, which I immediately accepted.

"Whoa." I muttered once I was standing, feeling the room start to spin around a little.

"Uh… maybe you should go to the nurse." He said as he threw an arm around me to help me stay standing.

"No. No I'm fine." I said, even though I could tell by the look on the guys face that he wasn't buying it.

"Really? So you can stand on your own then?" He asked, emphasizing his point by removing his arm from around me, watching as I struggled to stay standing before throwing his arm back around me.

"Okay, point taken." I muttered, noticing the 'I told you so' look he was giving me.

"Alright, let's get you to the nurse." He said before leading me to the nurse's office, ignoring my complaints along the way.

XxX

I stared up at the ceiling, waiting patiently for these last couple of minutes to pass.

The nurse had already checked on me, finding out that I had a mild concussion. She had told me to lay down, informing me that I would be fine after about 15 minutes. The guy that had helped me left before I could get his name, saying something about how he couldn't be late, but I was sure I would run into him again eventually.

"Alright James, I'm going to just double check to make sure you're okay then you'll be free to go." The nurse said, to which I just nodded.

She ran a couple of test before deeming me okay to leave.

I walked into the hallway, surprised to see people in the hallway heading to class. I didn't even remember hearing the bell ring. Oh well, I probably just got lost in my thoughts again, which I seemed to be doing alot of lately.

I quickly made my way to my music class so that I wouldn't be late, inwardly groaning when I noticed that Kendall was already there. I let out a sigh before going to sit in a vacant seat away from the blonde.

Needless to say, I wasn't all that suprised when he made his way over to me.

"Hey." He said nervously, giving me a major case of déjà vu.

"What do you want?" I asked tiredly, not having enough energy to be angry with him.

"Look, I know you're pissed, you have every right to be. But I want you know that I honestly didn't mean to break my promise. And I'll do anything I have to do to get things back to the way they used to be. The way they're supposed to be." He said, looking proud of himself.

"Kendall, please stop wasting your time." I said softly, momentarily letting down my walls while ignoring the look he was giving me.

"What are you talking about? I'm not-" He started, but I quickly cut him off.

"Yes you are. I'm not that same kid that you knew when we were younger Kendall. You don't know half the stuff I've been through the past few years. So trust me when I say you don't want to waste your time with me." I said, my voice sounding more bitter than I intended.

"You can't honestly believe that can you?" He asked, a mix of emotions in both his voice and his face. But the most prominent emotion was definitely guilt.

"I can. You wanna know why? Because it's true. Now just go and leave me alone." I said, my walls going back up in the process, knowing that I had already said too much.

"James…" He said, trying to come up with something to say, but I wasn't going to give him the chance.

"Go!" I yelled, gathering the attention of a few people in the classroom, but I honestly could care less at the moment.

Kendall gave me a defeated look before leaving, going back to the seat he was in when I first walked into class.

I let out a sigh of relief, knowing that I probably would've told him everything if he had prodded just a little further.

I honestly did want to talk things out with him and possibly go back to being friends, but there was something that was keeping me from doing it. I just wasn't sure what it was exactly. But I could tell from the look that Kendall was currently giving me from afar that he wasn't giving up just yet.

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**Sorry if this chapter was a little boring, but it was necessary! On the plus side, you did get a little more insight on what James' mindset is like right now! He wants to try and work things out with Kendall but something's holding him back. And the mystery person that James bumped into will be making another appearance next chapter! Any guesses as to who it could be?**

**Next chapter will also reveal exactly what went down between Kendall and James so I'm pretty excited for it!**

**I'm hoping to have the next chapter up this weekend, next Wednesday at the latest. Think I can get another 6 reviews by next chapter? Who knows, it might just inspire me to update faster! ;)**

**-Rusher0994**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: What's going on everyone? I'd like to thank emeraldGrey57, winterschild11 and hpatts for reviewing last chapter!**

**I decided to go on and upload the next chapter today since I finished it earlier than expected. Plus, I saw how excited you all were to find out what happened between Kendall and James so I hope you all enjoy!**

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**Chapter 3**

"Soooo, would you mind telling me exactly where we're going?" Logan asked as he continued to look out the window.

"We're going to the park. I just thought that it was time for me to tell you about what happened between me and James. You deserve to know the truth and I'm kinda hoping that you could give me some advice." I admitted, keeping my eyes on the road.

"The great Kendall Knight needs advice for _me_? I never thought I'd see the day!" He said in an exaggerated teasing tone.

"Shut up." I said, managing to sound serious despite the small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

It only took a few minutes for us to make it to the park, which was pretty empty since it was pretty early. I knew it was best to do this right after school since the park didn't really get full for another hour or two, so that's exactly what I did.

"Okay, talk." Logan said once we sat down on a bench.

I took a minute to gather my thoughts, trying to decide where the best place to start was before settling on around the time that James moved away.

"Okay, so you know James and I's history and everything so I'll skip to the important part." I said, to which he immediately nodded, probably eager to hear what happened.

"Well we were both pretty bummed the entire week leading up to James moving. We were a mess when he first found out he would have to move, but it didn't really sink in until it was so close to leaving that it was actually happening." I said, my mind going back to that night we spent on the roof.

_James and I were laying comfortably on the roof of my house._

_Since James was leaving, his mom allowed him to spend most of week with me, knowing how close the two of us were, which I was incredibly grateful for. _

_But I couldn't help but notice the look on James' face. _

"_What's wrong buddy?" I asked, even though I had a feeling that I knew exactly what was bothering him. _

"_I don't want to leave. I'm… I'm scared." He said, the words coming out so softly that I almost didn't hear him. I had to admit that I was a little shocked though. I didn't think I would ever admit it, but I was scared as well. I was pretty sure we had different reasons for being upset, but I didn't think he would be scared._

"_What're you scared of?" I asked just as softly, giving him my undivided attention. _

"_I'm scared that we'll drift apart. That you'll forget about me." He replied, both shocking me and making my heart clench at the same time. His words caught me off guard because that's exactly what I was afraid of. _

"_I could never forget you Jay. You're the best friend I've ever had. I know we're incredibly close with Logan and Carlos, but what you and I have is… different. We have a special bond and nothing is going to break that." I said honestly, getting worried for a second at the tears in his eyes, thinking that I had said the wrong thing. But I relaxed a little when I saw that small smile forming on his face._

"_Really?" He asked, giving me a hopeful look._

"_Really. I promise that we'll keep in contact with each other and that nothing will come between us .I promise that we'll always be best friends." I promised, caught off guard as he suddenly pulled me into a hug. It took me a second, but I quickly returned the hug. We sat like this for a minute before pulling away from one another._

_As soon as we broke apart, I noticed that he didn't look quite as upset, but there was still something on his mind._

"_There's something else bothering you. Isn't there?" I asked knowingly. He let out a sigh before speaking._

"_Yeah, it's my mom and dad. They've been fighting alot lately and… I just want it to stop. I'm tired of hearing them so angry with each other all the time." He said, wiping away a few stray tears that had managed to fall. _

"_I'm sure they're going through a rough patch. My mom says every couple has that period of time when they fight alot." I said, remembering the conversation I had with my mom ._

"_Really? Are you sure?" He asked, sounding a little unsure. _

"_Yep. Trust me, they'll be back to normal soon. I promise." I said, smiling at the bright smile on James' face. _

"_Thanks Ken. You're the best." He said, pulling me into another quick hug before pulling away. "I don't know what I'd do without you." _

"_I guess we'll find out soon." I muttered, remembering that the brunet only had a few more days left in Minnesota. _

"_Hey, like you said, we'll keep in contact and stick together. Besides, I'm sure I can convince my mom to bring me back for the holidays!" He said, eyes lighting up at the thought._

"_Yeah, maybe." I said, suddenly feeling a little better about the move, but not much._

"Wow…" Logan said softly, probably trying to process this new information.

"I honestly didn't mean to break my promise. But you know how busy we got when school started back!" I said, the words coming out a little defensive. But it was true. I had just started playing junior hockey. And between that and all my school work, it barely left me any free time. But I knew that I should've made time instead of breaking my promise. I had been so busy that I had lost contact with James just months after he had moved away.

"Okay, first you need to relax." He said, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder before continuing. " Second, have you talked to James about any of this." He asked.

"I've tried, but something's wrong with him. I don't know what's happened to him over the last few years but, he just seems different." I said, choosing to spare him the details for right now.

"Well then try talking to him again. I'm sure deep down he's still the same James that we knew when we were kids." He said softly, probably starting to miss the brunet even more himself.

"Yeah, I doubt that'll happen. I was lucky to get him to talk last time." I muttered.

"I'm sure you'll think of something. Besides you've got me and Carlos to help you out if you need it." He said, the smile on his face momentarily fading. "You _are _going to tell Carlos right?"

"Of course. I just wanted to tell you first since I knew you'd be able to give me some logical advice." I said, knowing that while Carlos was capable of giving advice, it also could take a while.

"Makes sense. But just know that we've got your back. I mean, he is our friend too. We don't want to see him upset." He said, a small smile forming on his face.

"Thanks Loges. And don't worry. I'll think of something to get through to James. I'm not going to let him drift away again. I promise." I said, feeling more determined than ever.

* * *

**Kendall sure does love making promises doesn't he? Well know you know what happened between Kendall and James, and while it may not seem that bad, wait until you hear James' side of the story! You didn't think I'd give _everything _away did you ;)**

**And I know I said that the mystery guy that James bumped into would be in this chapter, but I decided to just dedicate this chapter to Kendall and Logan so he'll make an appearance in the next chapter!**

**So what'd you all think? And did you all like the flashback? I'm thinking of including a couple more of those. I'd love to hear your thoughts!**

**I'm hoping to have the next chapter up soon!**

**-Rusher0994**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hello again everybody! I'd like to thank EmeraldGrey57, annabellex2, winterschild11, CessLizz, and RandomWriter23 for reviewing last chapter!**

**I see alot of you are anxious to hear James side of the story! Well you'll hear his side of the story in a few chapters! But for now, I hope you enjoy this new chapter!**

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**Chapter 4**

After getting my lunch, I quickly made my way over to my usual table.

I didn't really have any friends, so I just found a table towards the back of the cafeteria, wanting as little attention drawn to me as possible.

As soon as I was settled, I cautiously glanced up towards Kendall's table, suprised to find him staring at me. But he quickly averted his gaze once he noticed me looking at him, which made me chuckle a little.

'_Same old Kendall.' _I thought to myself.

I was suprised that Kendall hadn't tried talking to me at all today. Maybe he finally realized that he was just wasting his time with me…

"Hey." A familiar voice said.

I looked up, noticing that it was the mystery guy that had helped me yesterday. But now that I was really looking at him, I realized that it was Dak. I guess I was too out of it to recognize him yesterday.

"Hey…" I said cautiously, my walls immediately going up now that I knew that it was him who had helped.

"Um, can I sit?" He asked awkwardly, probably noticing the cautious tone in my voice.

"Why don't you sit with your jock friends?" I asked bitterly, glancing over to the infamous jock table.

I had only been at this school for a few days, but it was long enough to know that they practically ruled the school, running over whoever got in their way. And something told me that Dak was no different than his friends.

"Well, between you and me, I don't really like hanging out with them all that much. They're jerks and most them are idiots. Especially Jett." He admitted, chuckling a little in the process.

I didn't say anything, keeping my face void of emotion. Dak must have noticed this because he immediately stopped laughing, things quickly becoming awkward again.

"So… can I sit?" He repeated, giving me a hopeful look.

I knew that I would probably regret this later, and I didn't completely trust him, but I knew he at least deserved a chance. Besides, it'd be kinda nice to have a friend here.

"Sure." I said, not missing the bright smile that spread across his face as he eagerly sat down.

"So how's your head? It seemed like you hit it pretty hard yesterday when you fell." He asked casually as he started picking at the food on his tray.

"It's fine. I just had a mild concussion, passed after about fifteen minutes." I said to which he just nodded.

After a couple minutes of awkward silence, we finally started talking, getting to know each other a little better. Turns out, he was actually a pretty cool guy.

As we talked, I couldn't help but steal another glance over at Kendall's table, noticing him staring at Dak and I with a look that looked alot like jealousy.

Dak and I continued to talk, asking each other random questions until I finally decided to ask the question that had been on my mind ever since he came up to my table.

"Why are you hanging out with me?" I asked bluntly, feeling a little bad when I saw the slightly hurt look on his face. "Not that I don't appreciate it. But you're… _you_! You're popular, you have plenty of friends, and you have alot going for you. I'm just the loner new kid. You could do better, trust me." I muttered.

"Well first, like I said earlier, most of my 'friends' are idiots. I'd much rather hang out with someone who can carry an actual conversation. Second, I'm hanging out with you because you seem like a pretty cool guy. But more than that, you just seemed like you could really use a friend." He admitted, a sheepish smile forming on his face.

I wasn't really sure what to say to that, so I just stayed silent. He continued once he realized that I wasn't going to say anything.

"I know it sounds weird, but I've always kinda had a knack for reading people." He said, which definitely piqued my interest.

"Really? Then what did your reading say when you first met your jock friends over there?" I asked, motioning over to jocks table towards the front of the cafeteria.

"Trust me, you don't wanna know." He said, chuckling a little.

"Why do you hang out with them then? I mean, you've made it pretty clear that you don't really care for them." I asked, both testing him, and genuinely curious as to what he was going to say.

He was silent for a few seconds, seemingly trying to choose his words carefully before letting out a sigh.

"Look, around here, popularity is important. If you're not popular, then you're basically a nobody. At least, to most people here you are." He started, but he didn't even have to continue for me to see where this was going.

"And let me guess, they give you that popularity so you continue to stick around." I said, not meaning for the words to come out the way they did.

"It's more than that. I-" He started, but was cut off by the sound of the bell, signaling the end of lunch. "I'm just gonna go." He said, sounding both bitter and hurt as he quickly grabbed his things and left.

I let out a sigh as he walked off, knowing that I had messed up.

I didn't mean to make him feel like I thought any less of him, but I knew that was probably how my words had come across. And while I initially didn't trust him, he seemed to be the only person other than Kendall that genuinely cared.

I decided to brush it away for now before grabbing my things and getting ready to head to my next class.

XxX

As soon as I walked into my house, I knew something was up. My suspicions were confirmed when I noticed the distinct smell of my mom's homemade sugar cookies, something she only made when she was happy.

I quickly made my way to the kitchen where both my mom and dad where standing, giggling and covered in flour.

"Um… hey." I said awkwardly, effectively getting their attention.

"Hi Jamie! Have a seat." My mom chirped.

I hesitantly sat down, wanting know what this was about.

"What's going on? You only make cookies when you're _really _happy." I asked, to which both of them just smiled.

"Nothing. It's just… your father and I finally worked things out." My mom said, her huge smile never fading.

"Really?" I asked as I turned my attention to my dad, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Really. Turns out, all we really needed to do was sit down and talk things out." He said as he wrapped his arms around my mom's waist, giving her a kiss in the process.

"Gross!" I exclaimed jokingly as I grabbed my backpack, getting ready to head up to my room before my mom's voice suddenly stopped me.

"James? Do you want any cookies? They're fresh out of the oven." She said in a cheerful voice, which made me smile a little.

"Sure. Just let me put my stuff away and I'll be right down." I said, to which she just nodded.

I quickly made my way up to my room, closing the door behind me in the process.

I wanted to be happy for my mom, I really did. But this wasn't the first time that they've 'talked things out' just to go back to fighting days later. I just had a feeling that this wasn't going to last.

But as I made my way back downstairs, noticing the loving looks that they shared, I thought that maybe things were actually looking up.

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**Alright, so not too much happened this chapter. But you did find out that the mystery person is Dak, and you got a little backstory on him. And James' parents seemed to have worked things out. But are they going to last?**

**Dak will be playing a pretty important part in this story so we will be seeing him quite a bit. But next chapter is mostly going to be focused on Kendall. And again for those waiting, you'll be getting James' side of the story in a few chapters!**

**So what'd you all think? I'd love to hear your thoughts on Dak, James' parents, and what you think might happen next :)**

**I'll try to have the next chapter up soon!**

**-Rusher0994**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello again everyone! I'm finally here with another chapter! I'm really sorry about the late update, but my wi-fi was down for a while and I've been working on another story that I'll be posting very soon! I'd like to give a huge thank annabellex2, winterschild11, EmeraldGrey57 for reviewing last chapter!**

**I hope you all enjoy the new chapter!**

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**Chapter 5**

I quickly made my way into school, not able to take my mind off what I saw yesterday. As stupid as it may sound, I was actually jealous of Dak.

I was upset that James was pushing me away while seemingly opening up to Dak. Not that Dak wasn't a great guy. He was one of the few jocks that wasn't a complete idiot or jerk. And while I guess I kinda deserved James freezing me out, it didn't make it hurt any less.

"Hey Kendall!" Carlos chirped as he made his way over to me with Logan trailing behind him.

"Hey." I said softly, my mind still trying to figure out how to get through to James.

"So have you figured out what you're going to do about James?" Logan asked as we started heading to class.

"No, and it's driving me crazy!" I exclaimed, feeling something within me snap. "I know that I messed up. I get that. But he won't even give me a chance! It's like he doesn't even _want _to try and fix things! And I've been racking my brain trying to figure out how to get through to him but I just-"

"Kendall!" Logan yelled, effectively stopping my rant.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, taking deep breaths to try and calm my erratic breathing.

"It's okay. Just calm down." Logan said, putting a comforting hand on my back.

"Alright… I'm okay." I said after about a minute.

"Good. Now, you've gotta stop stressing yourself over James. I hate to break it to you, but you have to understand that if he's avoiding you this much, then you must have really hurt him." He said softly, giving me a sympathetic look.

And as much as I wanted to say something to object to that, I knew that he was right. I knew James well enough to know what this was really about. He was more hurt than angry, which was why he was freezing me out. He didn't want to get hurt again.

"Logan's right. I think you just need to give him a little time." Carlos spoke up, making both Logan and I give him curious looks at his profound advice. "What? I have my moments." He shrugged, looking quite proud of himself.

"Thanks you guys." I said before pulling them both into a hug, which they immediately returned.

XxX

I couldn't help but glance over at James as I walked into my music class. I immediately noticed him writing in his notebook that he always seemed to be writing in.

I shook myself out of my thoughts before taking a seat, Miss Harris walking in seconds later.

"Alright class. I have a little project for you." She said, as she took her position in the front of the class. "I'm going to partner you all up, and the two of you will have to come up with a song by the first of December. You'll perform the song in front of the class and it'll count for half of your semester grade." She added, resulting in a couple of groans from a few students.

As she started pairing people up, I closed my eyes, part of me hoping to be paired with James while the other part was silently praying to be paired with someone else.

"Kendall, you're going to be paired with James."

As soon as the words left her mouth, I looked over to James, noticing something that looked alot like annoyance or maybe anger flash across his face.

"I'd advise you all to exchange numbers, emails, addresses, whatever you have to do to get this project done since you'll be spending alot of time with your partner." Miss Harris added before moving on to the lesson for the day.

I spared one last look at James, a small smile forming on my face.

_Maybe I did have a plan after all._

**James P.O.V.**

I let out a huff as I angrily threw my books into my locker.

Out of all the students in the class I just had to get paired with Kendall! I slammed my locker shut before leaning against it, letting out a sigh in the process.

I knew that I was probably overreacting, but to be honest, I was a little scared. Something inside me honestly did believe that Kendall was truly sorry. And while I did want to give him a chance and try to work things out, I was scared that I would just end up getting hurt again.

I glanced up, noticing Dak walking towards the cafeteria for lunch.

"Hey Dak! Wait up!" I called out before making my way over to the jock, knowing that I needed to apologize.

"Hey." He said softly once I had caught up.

"Hey. Look, I'm really sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to make you feel like I was judging you or that I thought any less of you. Because I honestly don't." I said honestly.

"It's okay. I guess I kinda overreacted. It's just… you're not the first person I've told that to, so I guess I've kinda come to automatically expect that reaction." He admitted, as we walked into the cafeteria.

"Hey, no judging here." I said, giving a gentle nudge along with a small smile to let him know that it was okay,

"Thanks James. You know, you're a pretty cool guy." He said as we took a seat at our table.

"Thanks, I've been told-" I trailed off, noticing Kendall motioning me over to his empty table. "I'll be right back." I said to Dak before reluctantly making my way over to Kendall's table.

"What do you want?" I asked a little too harshly once I made it over to his table.

"Well I was thinking that we could exchange numbers and addresses so we could get started on our project." He said, not at all affected by my harsh tone.

"Fine." I said, grabbing a pen and piece of paper out of my notebook before writing down my number and address before sliding it over to him.

"Thanks. Here's my address." He said before tearing off the bottom half of the paper and writing his address. "And I'll text you so you'll have my number." He said as he handed me the paper.

"Okay." I said before walking away, my phone vibrating seconds later.

I pulled out my phone before unlocking it and reading the text, turning to glare at the blonde in the process.

_See you soon partner! :D –K_

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**Alright, so not my best chapter. But this was just to set up the next few chapters! And I know that alot of you are wondering about James. You got to see a little piece of his thoughts in this chapter, but you'll get to hear his side of the story in a few more chapters!**

**Next chapter will be up soon , but I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter!**

**-Rusher0994**


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